


Other Friends

by ChaoticNeutral



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Emotional Hurt, F/M, Inspired by a Steven Universe Song, Lila is horrible, Lila salt, Songfic, Toxic friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-05
Updated: 2019-09-05
Packaged: 2020-10-10 14:17:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,847
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20529410
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChaoticNeutral/pseuds/ChaoticNeutral
Summary: A party for the class that Marinette is intentionally left out of opens the opportunity for an akuma. But the one that appears is not the one expected.Marinette was the current victim of Lila’s lies and manipulations.What is so rarely considered is that she might not have been the first.Or that one of Lila’s old “friends” could come back into the picture to find a scene that’s all too familiar in the worst ways.After all, Lila had to have had “Other Friends” before. How did they turn out? How would anyone turn out in a friendship with someone like Lila?And how would they react to seeing her again?





	Other Friends

**Author's Note:**

> Because Lila couldn’t be as successful as she is at manipulating and fooling people unless she’s had practice. And other victims.
> 
> Per request, featuring “Other Friends” from the Steven Universe movie.

* * *

Alya hadn’t meant her to find out this way.

She had never meant for Marinette to find out this way.

“So that’s it then.” Marinette said flatly, and Alya just couldn’t stand seeing that expression.

Not that. Not from her.

“It’s not what you think!”

She had just been trying to keep the peace. Whenever Marinette and Lila were together, there was just so much tension that anyone could feel it. This party was something everyone had been looking forward to. But while those two were at odds, they all knew there was going to be some conflict that would bring the mood down.

Lila had bemoaned the fact she’d missed the previous class picnic. And Marinette was always busy anyway and could use the extra time. So she and the other girls made the choice to tell Marinette they were having it a different day.

It wasn’t a lie. Lila said that it wasn’t actually lying. Their intentions were good, and sometimes it was necessary to tell a little fib. Little white lies were no big deal, after all. Especially if it was to help others.

It was just a fib. That was okay, right? Just a little fib here and there? Just a little fib to keep the party upbeat?

She hadn’t meant to hurt her.

She just…

Hadn’t expected Marinette to catch them.

The now very hurt, very angry Marinette. Who was glaring at her in a way she’d never seen Marinette glare at anyone save Chloe at her worst. Or Lila on a particularly bad day.

“So you didn’t lie to me that the party was cancelled and everyone just happened to meet up here with the food and supplies they had agreed to bring.”

Alya winced.

“Marinette, we didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“But you didn’t try to not hurt me, either.”

“Mari—”

“Don’t.” She cut her off. “You didn’t care about my feelings before. Don’t try to pretend you do now.”

Her eyes watered, but she didn’t falter.

“You’ve already lied enough.”

With that, Marinette walked away. Alya wouldn’t see how it took everything she had to not break into tears right there. But she wouldn’t give Lila the satisfaction. Nor would she try to make anyone pity her.

Alya could only watch. Wanting to speak. Wanting to say something.

But what could she possibly say?

It was strange…seeing Marinette be the one to turn her back on them for once.

Such pain. Such heartache. This betrayal would have made her a perfect target to become an akuma.

It was probably fortunate then that someone else already had.

* * *

Her name was Sofia.

She was a good person with a good life.

She had a good family.

And the best part was that she had the most amazing friends.

They were her best friends and she could tell them anything.

Noemi, Marie, and Irene.

And then one day, she added a new name to that number.

Lila.

She was amazing! And so personable and outgoing and sweet!

But personable didn’t mean friend.

Outgoing didn’t mean honest.

And sweet didn’t mean good.

It had been Irene who didn’t trust her from the beginning. But Irene was the brash sort. Stubborn and opinionated. Bossy even. When Lila told stories about her adventures, Irene would try to discredit them. When Lila started coming up with more ideas for projects or pans, Irene was always against them.

It stopped being fun having her around and eventually, their invites to her felt less out of any real enjoyment of her company and more out of obligation. It was less stressful the days she didn’t come…or didn’t get the invite. But Irene apparently caught on, too, as one day she’d thrown up her hands in frustration and left, telling them they were on their own. Really, they had been better off.

Or so Lila told them.

It had been Marie who tried to support everyone and mend fences. When Irene and Lila would butt heads, Marie would be the one to step in and mediate. After Irene left, she kept the group together. She was positive and friendly, highly well liked by everyone in the school. She was just clumsy. Forgetful. Losing things. And it just kept happening more and more often, no matter how much she tried to protest it.

She was unreliable. And clearly they didn’t mean that much to her if she couldn’t remember their hangouts and was always late for their plans because she had the wrong time despite how many times Lila reminded her. Then it all came to a head when the funds collected for a school fundraiser somehow went missing while she was supposed to be watching it.

The teachers were furious. Why wasn’t she more responsible?

The students were even moreso. She probably spent the money herself.

Nobody trusted her after that.

Nobody wanted anything to do with her.

Eventually, the stress and alienation became too much. Quietly, with only a short goodbye to her closest friends and a final plea to believe her that went unanswered, she moved schools.

Really, they were better off.

Or so Lila told them.

Noemi was dependable though. She was smart and funny. She always knew the right things to say to cheer anyone up. She was positive and upbeat. She was strong and always there for her.

Until she wasn’t.

Until she said she couldn’t deal with it anymore.

That their friendship was too much stress. Too much mess. Too much distress. And that she was sorry, but she just had enough. It wasn’t healthy and it wasn’t enjoyable anymore. She needed to take care of herself.

And she was gone.

And…they were better off, right?

Or so Lila told her.

Then it was just her and Lila.

Until it wasn’t even that anymore.

One day, Lila was gone. Without a word or even so much as a look back.

And suddenly, Sofia was all alone.

Her supports were gone. Her friends were gone. The one friend she had left—the only one who she could count on had left without a trace.

And Sofia found herself having to pick up the tattered pieces of her once good life. Left alone and wondering where it had all gone wrong? What had she done? Where had she failed?

That should have been the end of it.

Except it wasn’t.

Suddenly there was a field trip to Paris France.

Suddenly there were superheroes to learn about.

Suddenly there was a blog about them to check out.

Suddenly there was an interview to see.

And Sofia saw. For the first time, she REALLY SAW.

There was Lila, smiling like nothing had ever happened. Talking to someone she barely knew like she was telling long-hidden secrets. Telling stories about a hero that she never met—couldn’t have met when the dates were wrong. Talking about Ladybug in the same way she had once talked about THEM.

It was only when she was finally seeing it for the first time, on the outside looking in, that she finally realized the truth.

Irene wasn’t unreasonable.

Marie wasn’t unreliable.

Noemi wasn’t cruel.

It was Lila.

It had _always_ been Lila.

And because of her, Sofia has lost all of her closest friends.

They had all lost each other.

And there wasn’t even a reason.

So she left the video playing on repeat while she started to plan.

When Sofia went to Paris with the rest of her class, it was with a mission.

While other students were chatting, she was searching for every mention or picture or online history.

While they were discussing places they wanted to see, she was working out a location.

And while they talked about hopes and desires for what the trip would bring, she only had a singular goal.

_Lila._

She had wanted to see her one last time, to confront her. To ask her _“Why?”_

She didn’t know if that would satisfy the emptiness inside of her, but it would at least be more than she’d had. She could at least make the next step from there. Let go and try to move forward. She was willing to try, really!

But then she saw those two girls arguing. A party in the distance. A party they had intentionally left someone out of.

Two girls. One hurt and betrayed. The other guilty and being played.

And there was Lila. In the background watching it all.

And _smiling_.

An all too familiar scene.

Sofia was a good person.

She had a good life she hadn’t appreciated enough. A good family more burdened than they should have been. And good friends she should have held on harder to.

She wanted her friends back.

She wanted her life back.

She wanted Lila to know what it was like to be used and thrown away like an old doll. To be manipulated and played with like a puppet.

And when a voice told her she could have that?

How could she say no?

* * *

“Alya, it’ll be okay.” Rose said, trying to cheer up her friend. “I’m sure you can work it out.”

Mylene rested a hand on her back. “Yeah, we can make it up to her another day. She’s pretty understanding.”

“I don’t know.” Kim said, breaking in. “I don’t feel right about having a party when Marinette was left out like this.”

“Yeah. She didn’t do that to any of us.” Ivan agreed.

”She helped to set up a party for Chloe of all people and was able to be perfectly cordial the whole time.” Max pointed out. “If she could do that, there’s no reason this couldn’t have been worked out.”

“I’m sure you had your reasons.” Nino told her, but didn’t look nearly as sure as he said.

“But no good reason to not at least talk to her about it.” Adrien said, sounding so disappointed that Alya wanted to shrink in on herself. “Marinette didn’t deserve to be lied to like that, especially not to leave her out of something. She had put just as much effort into this as all of us.”

“But…” Alya murmured, unable to really argue but feeling obligated to all the same.

And then Lila chimed in. “Alya was only trying to keep the peace, Adrien. It’s not her fault Marinette is trying to force people to pick sides.”

Alya snapped up at that.

Lila sounded like she was trying to make her feel better.

Except…Marinette never really tried to make her choose between them, had she? She’d kept her dislike to herself and never told Alya she couldn’t hang out with Lila. If Alya had conflicting plans between them, Marinette was the one to reschedule. It had been Lila who had expressed feeling uncomfortable with Marinette around.

That had been why Alya had fibbed to her best friend. Because a little fib was okay, right?

Or so Lila told them.

Something about this felt wrong.

Alya hesitated.

Adrien frowned at Lila, looking angrier than any of them had ever seen him. He opened his mouth to respond when something slammed into the ground only a few yards away, making everyone spin to see it.

An akuma.

It looked like a china doll with a cracked face. One of its eyes was a bright blue color while the other—the one where the crack covered, was completely closed. Its mask was white while its cheeks were painted rosy, which made the cracks all the more apparent. Her suit was a black bodysuit with white and black stripes on her forearms and lower legs. There were three white buttons on her chest. And her sleeves were long, going past her arms and covering her hands.

“What is that?” Alix asked, sarcastically. “A mime?”

“Alix, maybe you shouldn’t insult the akuma.” Nathaniel hissed.

The akuma simply glanced around at the party participants with a calculating eye.

“Well. Well, well, well, well! Let me get a look at the menagerie!”

Her gaze fell on Adrien.

“You must be Adrien Agreste!”

It turned to Nino, who backed away with Alya in his arms.

“And you must be Nino Lahiffe!”

His attempts did nothing to hide Alya from the akuma’s sight.

“And the Ladyblogger herself! Well, she’s kept you with her, isn’t that just _swell?_”

Alya gaped at the akuma in horror. “No…girl, what happened to you?”

The other classmates jumped at that, startled at the idea that their everyday Ladybug could be akumatized—or even become such a…terrifying akuma.

“A gift!” The akuma said with a twirl. “I got a new style! And a few new toys that are going to put an END to this party once and for all!”

She grinned.

“The name is Marionette. And I’ll be more than happy to be the one playing with you!”

Before anyone had the chance to run, she threw out her arms and a number of strings emerged from her sleeves. Quicker than expected, they shot out aiming for Alya and Nino. Nino, however, saw them coming and pushed Alya out of the way before being hit himself. Nathaniel was unfortunately nearby and was struck himself. Both were immediately overwhelmed and wrapped up in the strings, the ends of which attached to their very bodies.

Realizing the implications, Nino gasped, jerking and trying to dislodge the damn threads.

“This isn’t cool! I’m not a puppet!”

“You are now!” Marionette chimed, and with a small snip of her nails—which did exist and were actually much sharper than they realized, the strings were no longer connected to her hands. Instead, they floated for a moment, seeming completely listless until a pair of old fashioned marionette bar controllers appeared in the formerly empty space, now attached to the strings.

“What do you think?” She asked, smugly. “You’re all little more than puppets to her anyway. We might as well make it official!”

Alya gasped in horror. “Nino!”

“Alya, RUN!” He shouted back, helpless but to follow the direction the control bar pulled him as it jerked him away from her.

Cackling, the akuma sent another set of strings at the other members of the class.

“GET OUT OF HERE!” Kim shouted, pushing Adrien forward just before the strings grabbed him, at least sparing the model his fate.

Alix tried to run to get help, but didn’t make it much further herself before the akuma caught up to her, leaving Alix trussed up and cursing in her wake.

Adrien kept going though, promising to himself he would be back with help soon. Help of the “Miraculous” kind. He managed to duck around a corner and out of sight before the threads could get him.

“Darn.” The akuma cursed. “I was hoping to get her little boytoy for the performance.”

“Marinette, please!” Alya cried out, coming out from where she had been ducking for cover with Lila despite the other girl’s hissed objection. “This isn’t you!”

The akuma froze at that, eyes wide in…shock? Recognition? The class as a whole held their collective breaths, hoping that maybe Alya had gotten through to her.

Except…

“Ma…ri…?”

The akuma started shaking, head bowed. Alya reached out in concern, an inch away from contact.

But then Marionette snapped up, her eyes alight. Alya jumped back in shock. Other classmates screamed or tried to duck out of sight.

The akuma hadn’t been shaking in pain.

It was unbridled FURY.

She spun on Lila in a rage, tightening the strings on everyone else in the process and making them cry out in pain.

“It wasn’t bad enough you were doing it all again, but the same name no less? After everything? What, wasn’t Marie enough for you?”

Alya blinked in confusion. “Wait, Marie?”

Who was Marie?

Marinette didn’t know a Marie as far as Alya knew.

That meant…

It wasn’t Marinette.

It…it wasn’t…

That shouldn’t have relieved her as much as it did. There was still an akuma that was still right there and clearly targeting them. But Alya couldn’t help but be glad it wasn’t Marinette.

Or because of what she’d done to her.

Lila’s eyes widened at that, finally seeming to realize something.

“You’re…!”

“I thought I’d never see you again. But here you are, claiming to know the biggest names and schmoozing up to another group of broken hearts and tattered friendships waiting to happen!”

“Wait, what is she talking about?” Kim asked, confused.

“It’s an akuma. You know you can’t trust what they say.” Lila quickly replied.

The akuma laughed. “Oh, that’s RICH coming from you! The Lady of Lies! The Queen of Deceit! You haven’t learned a thing, have you?”

Her eye narrowed and features shifted into a glare.

_“I have.”_

Lila backed away uncertainly, eyes glancing around for the best avenues of escape.

Unaware of this, Alya stepped forward, getting the akuma’s attention.

“In case you haven’t heard, Lila is best friends with Ladybug! She’s gonna let her know what’s going on and she’ll come to save us!” Alya insisted.

The akuma just laughed again.

“Oh, I heard! I’ve had your little interview _ON LOOP!_”

“Alya, maybe you shouldn’t have mentioned that.” Alix stated flatly from where she floated.

“I just LOVED that part! Where Lila-Lying Rossi lived the rest of her ‘happily ever after’ as a darling of Paris with a bunch of PUPPETS!”

Eyes widened. “Uh oh.”

**“That’s right I heard the story over and over again!”**

Alya dodged back behind cover to avoid another whip of the strings.

**“Gee, it’s swell to finally meet her other friends!”**

Marionette was distracted from her trapped prey when she caught sight of Ivan trying to shield Mylene as they attempted to make a run for it.

**“That’s right I heard the story, don’t really like how it ends!”**

They didn’t get very far before they were both tripped up by strings, tied to different controller bars, and pulled into different directions while trying to reach out to each other. The akuma gave a falsely sweet smile and patted a fearful and shaking Mylene on the cheek.

**“Gee, it’s swell to finally meet her other friends!”**

Juleka didn’t see the almost living collection of strings converge on her hiding place until she was dragged out upside down to face the very angry akuma.

**“What did she say about me? What did she say?” **The akuma demanded. The normally quiet girl cringed in the hold and gave a shout of surprise as a controller bar suddenly appeared, controlling the strings that were now attached to her hands and pulling her along.

Rose gasped in horror, but this only attracted the akuma’s attention to her.

**“What did you do without me? What did you do?”** Marionette asked in a childish voice as she physically grabbed Rose—showing she did in fact have hands under those sleeves, which she used to spin her around, leaving the poor blonde dizzy and now tied up with strings and a controller above her as well.

She spun around as if alerted to another presence, finding Max, who realized he had been discovered and attempted to duck back out of sight. But she was in front of him before he could make any real distance.

**“Did you play games without me? What did you play?”** She asked, glaring. Max simpered, but was caught and trussed up as well.

She went back to where Alya and Lila had previously hidden, intent on rounding up the final targets, who also happened to be the main two on her “List”.

**“Did you think all this time that I wouldn’t find out about you~?”**

But they were gone.

**“Oh, that’s right I heard the story over and over again!”**

She looked around in annoyance, strings writhing. She’d find them soon enough.

**“Gee, it’s swell to finally meet her other friends!”**

Both Alya and Lila had taken advantage of the distraction to sneak around, trying to remain as low and out of sight as possible. This was difficult with the akuma and moving around everywhere and the so many strings that were not only hard to see, but gave her a strange sensory ability to be able to detect them if they happened to touch any of them.

“Lila, who is this girl?” Alya demanded.

“Um…” Lila leaned back, nervous.

“And why does she have it out for you?”

Suddenly, Alya was jerked forward—realizing too late the strings had caught her and wound around her wrists, dragging her out to the akuma who further grabbed her by the cuff of her shirt and pulled her closer to the point they were almost nose to nose.

**“Who am I! WHO AM I?!”** She raged. **“What are you even SAYING?”**

She shoved Alya away, strings now fully attached to her newest victim.

**“I’m the loser of the game you didn’t know you were playing!”**

Lila took advantage of this opportunity to duck and scamper away from the akuma.

She grinned sinisterly as she righted the strings on the classmates and the control bars attached to each student began to rise into the air, pulling their individual victims with them.

**“Let’s play another game! This time I get to win~!”**

Holding her hand out, a weapon formed. It initially looked like a scythe, but the blade was much more reminiscent of cutting shears. And with a blade just as sharp.

**“Lives on the line!”**

Adrien kept running.

**“Winner takes all!”**

Marinette stopped and looked back, feeling something wasn’t right.

**“Ready or not, LET’S BEGIN!”**

She slammed the butt of her scythe onto the ground.

**“Oh, that’s right I heard the story over and over again!”**

At her command, the control bars floated towards the akuma, arranging themselves and their respective students in a circle around her.

**“Gee, it’s swell to finally beat her other friends!”**

Several of the students cried out in shock and fear, trying to pull back or fight against the control as they were forcibly flown or dragged over to the akuma. But there was nothing they could do but flail helplessly.

**“Oh, that’s right I heard the story, don’t really like how it ends!”**

Looking around frantically, Alya saw Lila merely standing to the side, watching from the safety of her new hiding place but making no move to respond to their plight. Not to get help. Not even to try and call Ladybug.

**“Gee, it’s swell to finally beat her other~”**

Marionette twisted her body, holding the blade out. Alya realized she was going to slice all of them at once.

“Lila!”

**“Other~!”**

The rest of the captives realized this as well and struggled to try and get free, shouting and crying out for help.

“LILA!”

**“O~ther~!”**

She swung the blade in a wide circle around her, cutting through each and every one of the classmates held in place by the strings. Each of them barely had time to scream when they were hit before they were suddenly silenced.

Strings loosened, now holding nothing.

**“Friends!”**

And ten little dolls fell lifelessly to the ground around her.

**Author's Note:**

> Marionette Powers: 
> 
> 1\. Wrap up and trap people with her strings. Once the strings attach to a person, a control bar appears attached to the other end that moves according to her will, allowing her to direct where the victim goes and even how they move.
> 
> 2\. Her weapon once it cuts through someone can transform her victims into dolls.
> 
> Both of these powers play into aspects of her relationship with Lila, in how Lila would manipulate people by setting a “stage” and “pulling their strings”, and in how she treated people like toys to be used and discarded once she got bored.


End file.
